Container closing method and apparatus



Feb. 3, 1948. J. c. LANG CONTAINER CLOSING METHOD AND APPARATUS Filed March 3, 1944 7 Sheets-Sheet l Feb. 3, 1948. J, C, LANG 2,435,397

A CONTAINER CLOSING METHOD AND APPARATUS Filed March 5, 1944 v 7 sheets-sheet 2 N )svn 57 INVENTOR Feb. 3, 1948. l J, C, LANG 2,435,397

`('JOITAINER CLOSING METHOD AND APPARATUS Filed March 3, 1944 '7 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR Joseph C'. Lan K Feb. 3, 194s. J. c. LANG 2,435,397

CONTAINER CLOSING METHOD'AND APPARATUS Filed March 3, 1944 '7 Sheets-Sheet `4 58 INVENTOR Jqseph Feb.3, 1948. J. c. LANG Y CONTAINER CLOSING METHOD AND APPRATUS Filed March s. 1944 '7 sheets-sheets Feb. 3, 1948. J. c. LANG CONTAINER CLOSING METHOD AND APPARATUS 7 sheets-sheet e Filed March 3, 1944 J; C. LANG CONTAINER CLOSING METHOD AND APPARATUS Feb. 3, 1948.

' 7 Shets-Sheet 7 Filed March 3, 1944 Il lllllllllllllllklll,

Joseph fr Y Patented Feb. 3, 1948 CONTAINER CLOSING METHOD AND APPARATUS Joseph C. Lang, Pittsburgh, Pa., assgnor to Bocjl Corporation,v Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Delaware Application March 3, 1944, Serial No. 524,849

1s claims. 1

This invention pertains to the art of closing containers, particularly rigid containers, such as cardboard boxes or boxes made of corrugated ber board or the like.

The invention is particularly useful for closing corrugated containers and will be specifically described in this connection, but the invention is applicable to the closing of containers made of other materials, particularly rigid or semi-rigid containers of a brous nature as distinguished from containers such as paper bags and the like, which are not of a rigid or semi-rigid character. While this invention is primarily designed for the closing of box tops, and will be so described, it is also applicable to the securing or closing of the bottom or of a side corner of a box or carton, and the invention is intended to include and cover any such use.

Cartons or containers to which the present invention is applicable are widely used for the shipment of all sorts of commodities. While no difficulty is encountered in closing the bottom of such receptacles, ordinary stapling methods being acceptable, there is a problem in sealing or closing the tops of these containers and holding them closed. While the use of staples is highly desirable, conventional methods of stapling as heretofore employed cannot be used, because there is no satisfactory way, on .account of the difculty of providing an anvil to turn or clinch the inner ends of the staple legs. In other words, if a staple is driven into the top iiaps of a box into the underlying flaps, difficulty is encountered in clinching the staple. If the contents of the box are such as to permit the flaps-to sag or bow downwardly when stapling pressure is applied, still further diiculty is encountered. While various methods have been devised by me and by others for overcoming this diiiiculty, there are still various situations where the box cannot be satisfactorily stapled. In some cases, it is considered desirable, in order to use staples, to have a thin anvil which can be inserted under the cover aps of the box and withdrawn after the stapling has been completed. This of course leaves an opening where the anvil has been withdrawn, and also difficulty is encountered due to the fact that an anvil thin enough to be so used is apt to have too much flexibility, particularly in the larger sizes.

Consequently cartons are commonly closed, either by pasting or by using gummed tape, both of which methods of fastening are likely to result in the carton coming open if itis stored in a damp place. Moreover, such cartons may be pilfered by thieves who moisten the tape, remove the con- 2 tents from the carton, and then apply a fresh strip of tape to conceal from detection the loss of the contents of the box.

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for using an inserted or driven fastening means such, for example, as a staple, in such manner as to avoid the diiiculties heretofore encountered. More particularly, according to the presentinvention the box, after being closed, is pinched along the corners formed between the top and the end walls of the container, and a fastener is inserted, this fastener in eifect passing diagonally through the corner of the container. In the case of a staple, the bridge or head of the staple will then be at the top of the box while the ends of the legs of the staple will pass diagonally through the box and be clinched in the end walls of the box. With this construction the box is very safey closed, and the cover ilapsare held shut, and it is not possible to open the top of the box to secure access to the contents thereof without mutilating the box. The box will be fastened securely enough in this way to meet shipping requirements for containers of this kind, and the diiiiculties heretofore attendant in the use of staples for closing box tops is eliminated.

While the invention is specically illustrated in the accompanying drawings for the closing of cartons by the use of what is known as a stitcher, i. e., a machine which forms staples from a continuous like wire and drives the staples that are so formed, it is applicable to the closing of boxes by stapling, using preformed staples, or by the use of other fasteners passing diagonally through the corner of the container.

My invention may be more fully understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in

` which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a typical box or carton before being closed and fastened;

Fig. 2 is a perspective View of the box after staples have been put therein;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary section on larger scale through a corner of the box in the plane of line III-III of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a similar section in the plane of line IV-IV, of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a more or less schematic side elevation of a machine embodying my inventan, only the outline of the parts being indicated;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view of the stapling head of the machine shown in Fig. 5 with the stapling head, however, being turned to a vertical position, the view showing the parts in the position which they assume before the driving stroke begins;

Fig. 7 is a similar view showing the position of the parts at the end of the driving stroke;

4 Well as across the corners, and this is illustrated by the staples S' in Fig. 2.

Generally speaking, therefore, the novel method in the present invention comprises the pinch- Fig. 8 is a fragmentary sectional View on a 5 ing 01 squeezing 0f the corner of a rigid or Semilarger scale showing the two gripping jaws apart from the rem'aindergofthe machine,'the .View vJoeing taken on' the centerline ofrthe jaws;

Fig. 9 is a front elevation of the apparatus shown in Fig. 6;

Fig. 10 is a front elevation pf.. thggnidgplate indicating in dotted lines in Figf9;

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the upper gripping jaw; V

Fig. 12 is a perspective view-rof-thelowergripes ping jaw;

Fig. 13 shows the jaw operating:camfinielevation;

Fig. 14 is a perspective view of the ja-woperating cam;

iFigl is a'. detail .view .fshowing--a-` bracket struc- @ture of.' the :lower :endA of fthestapling' guide;

Fig. 16 is a side elevationrofthepartrshown iinzFiglE; i

yrmoiied :formspfz apparatus;

s axis-1a view. partly. :in :section: andi-'partly :ain :side elevation-fof;asportionifof theffmaehine eishownizin: :Figi 17.; indicating'. theirmanner;ofreneffgaging'xthe:container atfthec momentpfdrivingc30s-IMS-iontemplatedfthat thewStaDlG-'dlivingsm6611- Y rigid container to bring the corner portion where :fthetiapsgands end wailsrmeets into-:a gather or irfold; andypassing a fastener Vthrough"tithe portion thus pinched or foldedtogether to permanently f.L10-.hold it in this condition. Instead of the conventionaLshalQle, the invention in its broadest rzaspectsontemplates the Iuse of any other suit- 20 tion.

n.111; .practicing-:the invention'fgthe.@fastening is .aaccomplishedfbyya istaplinglmeansbnother rfasntener drivingv means `positioned diagonally '--with respect to the sides and tQpvi-atheabox. .This

lFig. .1731s.awisw'simnar;ureigws ofia'siighttas.. maybe accomplishedgeitherflow-keeping thef'bOX horizontal sand: throwingsthe;staplinghead at an j, angleofabout145lf, aslshwn in Fig:,5,-.orbyfhaving .the .staplingf- ,head Vverticalsand.y tiltingzthe Aboato anangle .of aboutf'ianssisshown .in 17.

.an-ism. of ,the form-shown. inFig.. i5 .eanfbe inthe eposition@illustrated im Eig-@5.01: i-nfthesposition illustr-atedrin; Fig.: l-'L and likewisefthermechanism .#Figrf220fis-ea1.fnontfelevationzptthe apparatusga-.cinclineias indicateddnf Eig. l.5.

' L. Forl-the,purpose of` explaimngrthe.methodconfratemplated ,hereing .reference .may iirst be. :made ato .Y Figs. f, 1 to 4.inclusive. ..Auconventional.v .box .usually-l hasf-two A-sde-:-walls,l designated' A, and .twofendf walls .designated B. -.'lheend walls..arepro ^.videdat.their top with inwardlyturnedflapsb, ...and-.thesidewallssA'are provided-along theupper .edgefwith flaps. ra. Y. v,In. closing .thefboxwthe ,naps

.The ,dr-iving-. of..-the. staplesrin, .the-manner; der-.scribed tis. conveniently.,accomplishedsenf a machine of the general type schematicallyf-.showndn Fig.- A5 andmoreffujlly .shown-fin.-Eigs..-6.to 1.6.

lInFig.: thel mechanism. forforminga and driving the .-fasteners :iszfpositioned at-.ay 45 l@angle-.so as.: to. operate yacrossathe .corner i of. the. box; but .this .mechanismmaygas@ansalternativegarrangement. .be 7vertical,-. as.in1i:lcated in-o Fig. 17,1 with folded over. :The flaps-.a preferably. overlap.

.-(After tthefbox. is *.closed, 1 the `end ...corners are 4-piirrchedpor -..3:athe1^,edy by. means (if-.gripping-jaws, a and whilerthey. are held .in,this. condition. a fas- .-.tening/ means such'f-asYV-a ustaple fis driven. -thr.ough ,:thegparththat is.- gatheredmp inwthisvway. ...The f-.fstaple-:orfother fastener. V.enters onebi` thetop f.' lifts,i21asses diagonally across 4,the-.corner of Aythe ifa-container, `emerges .at .the .sides of.. the container, and the ends-.farefolinched .where .they-emerge -When.thefbox has-.been stapled-.across-.the lends, thefaps-willtbesecunely helddownandr the .box eiectually sealed. The condition of thefasteningmayfelearly v.ber .-seenzby reference 1 to Figs. 3 and 4.; :,'Ihe .twoffiguresfarefvery similar,- except i :that -Wherethe-,twortoplilaps a.y overlap theinend, four thicknesses oifgpa-per :,or-.cardboardfarepeneistratedbythe staple-.lwhereasffas lshownfin-Fig 3 wat Ieaehffsidefzof vthe overlapping,-area-.the lsta-ple.-

passes through only three thicknessesloigpaper. .afIIi Fgsgfand? 4 .theiasteningrfmeann :illustrated as comprising a staple, is designated-fs. 'These frfstapleseseryeto holdithe eontainerin-thebunched szor 'gatherediorm tofwhichtheeorner-isfsqueezedg10ward movement will. cutsif. a.lengtl1..offwireprior to the: penetrations.of-therstaplegforming.a reinforcement along theffedgeof l the .ab Oxa-and ffsserving to strengthen-the. box.v rf Sometimes it may zbe' desirablefto: provide :thi fioldedfzor gathered f.Viewsf-Figs.;6-to. flvaare, ierclearness-.gof illustra- .tiem-arrangedlas iintheedrivermere vertical.

Refrerringfnowsto Figff. .the ...machine.. has Y a 1ybase L2;\ `a,pedestalfy.aavertically adjustable work 60. holding'- tablerd to receive the-boxC. At'the top otfthe pedestal isf-as driving.mieter` 6- fwhich' op- .-.erate,s, :fthroughfgearing glwthemstitcher,"i. e., .staple-f forming .and` driving; meehanismindiy"cated, generallm as. a. driving head-f8, this-stitcher freeeiving wire .from .affspool W'.

ofsefconstituteinofpart ofvthe presentfinvention and 'their Dartsaresshown only. insofar fas they .-are #required for, the explanationof the` novelfeatures of invention. 'i Thisfastapling rl head-includes ma.groovedcamflwhieirfis rotatedfby-fthe motor.

165 lr'lhecam.- also,carriesanaeccentriqpin l IA to fwhich sie;attache-daa'lconnectingi liniey l 11a.

1 A zcamf followen or-.froi1en..,-l2 .in rthe groove il 0a H.of -thefcamflo lis :carried oma reci-procable vform- 1 ing mechanism I 3. Y.v.:Thismechanismfin-its rdown- @whichv .hasg previouslmbeen. Yfed ,--by- :feed rollers gt4 :into .the1head.8,; and .then benda the :twol end portions ofthe piece. which .iscut .off, downwardly tofiorm. a .conventionalntleshaped. staple, .,as. is

armani-ner fwellfknown to. those The connecting link IIa is connected at its lower end with a reciprocable driver I5 that is relatively movable in the forming mechanism I3. Fig. 9 shows the position of the parts when both the driver and former are in the position they assume at the moment when the cycle of forming and driving is about to begin, that is, the parts have been raised to the starting or uppermost part of the stroke.

Assuming the parts to be in the position shown in Fig. 9, and the cam to be revolved in a counterclockwise direction, theY cam follower I2 and former I3 will be forced down rapidly while the driver, operating under the action of the eccentric pin, will move down much more slowly.- The former will complete the cutting of the wire, and the making of a staple, and then will dwell on portion IGb of the groove Illa of the cam while the driver l5, which has a longer stroke, will continue to move down, contacting the staple that has been formed and forcing it from the end of the guide. f

The completion 0f the driving stroke will occur when the eccentric pin II is 180 from the position shown in Fig. 9. At that time, the cam follower I2 will be at the end of the dwell portion IIlb of the cam groove Illa and both the driver and the staple former will move upwardly to the starting position. As beforeA stated, so much of the apparatus pertaining to the forming and driving of the staples as has been described is conventional and forms no partrof the present invention per se.

The present invention contemplates the gripping or pinching of the corner portion of the box or container to hold it while the staple is being driven diagonally therethrough, with the lower gripping jaw constituting also an anvil against which the legs of the staple are projected, and by means of which they are turned. Accordingly, a bracket I6 is secured to the rear face of the stapling head. Carried on this bracket is a pivot pin or shaft I1. The bracket I6 is shown detached from the machine in Fig. 16. The opening x I8 at the forward end of the horizontal arm of the bracket receives the shaft I1. As shown in Fig. l5, the forwardly projecting arm of the bracket I6 is bifurcated, providing a space I9 directly under the stapling guide.

Mounted on the shaft I1 is a lower box engaging jaw or gripper, designated generally as 2li, which is best shown in Fig 12. It has a hole 2I through which the shaft I1 passes. It has a narrow portion 22 forwardly of this hole which operates in the space I9 in the bifurcated horizontal portion of the bracket I6. It has forwardly of the portion 22, a cross arm 23 and at the center of the cross arm 23 are two transversely extending concaved anvil portions 24. These anvil portions are so positioned that the ends of the legs of the staple being projected from the end of the stapling guide will, after passing through the box, strike these surfaces to be turned back into the box to clinch the staple.

Extending rearwardly from the opening 2l the lower jaw member 20 has an arm portion 25 in which is a cam engaging recess 26. By reason of its mounting on the shaft I1, the jaw member can move in a limited vertical arc.

Cooperating with Vthe lower jaw member is an upper jaw member shown in detail in Fig. 11 and designated generally as 21. The upper jaw member is in the form of a frame having an opening therethrough, it having side arms 28, a rear cross arm 29, a forward cross arm 3B, and downwardly projecting lug portions 3| adjacent each end of ,the forward cross arm 30. These lug portions each having an opening 32 therein through which the shaft I1 passes to provide a pivota1 support for the jaw. Projecting forwardly from the cross arm 3D are two spaced box engaging jaw portions 33. The space between the two jaws 33 is substantially equal to the width of the portion 22 of the lower jaw member. The side arms 28 are recessed on their lower faces as indicated at 34 to provide cam engaging surfaces,

The two jaw members nt together as best shown in Fig. 8, in which the box gripping portions are open to the full limit of their movement. Secured to the bracket I6 are keepers' 35 (see Fig. 16) providing bearings for portions 31 of a cam shaft, this cam shaft having flattened cams or lobes 38 thereon. The cam is best shown in Figs. 13 and 14. The two end lobes 38 engage the surfaces 34 on the side arms of the upper jaw member and the intermediate lobe 38 engages the cam surface 23 on the lower jaw member. This engagement is indicated in Fig. 8. When the cam shaft is rotated from the'position shown in Fig. 8, the lobes, instead of being atwise with reference to the jaws are then edgewise, or more nearly so, thereby operating the jaws to force the forward box engaging portions 23 and 33 respectively toward each other from the position shown in Fig. 6 to the position shown in Fig. 1, As also shown in Fig. 8, the rear portions of the two jaws may be linked together by a tension spring 39 which yieldably acts in opposition to the cam for opening the jaws when the cam is turned back to the ilatwise position.

The present invention contemplates the operation of the cam from the operation of the stapling mechanism, and in proper sequence with respect thereto, so that when the corner of a box is thrust in between the open jaws before the start of the stapling cycle, the corner of the box will be pinched or gathered together between the cross head 23 and the lugs 33, and firmly held while the staple is thrust through 4the layers of paper of box board thus pinched together. The jaws should then release the box after the staple has been driven. For operating the jaws in this manner, an arm 4Q, best shown in Fig. 6, is loosely mounted on the shaft I1 so as to turn on the shaft without necessarily turning the shaft itself. This arm extends rearwardly and intermediate its ends it is provided with a pin 4I which projects laterally from the face thereof. At its outer end it is provided with a slot 42. Fixed on the end portion 31a of the cam shaft is a crank arm 43, the crank being faced on the cam shaft 31 so as to transmit motion to the shaft. The outer end of the crank arm 43 carries a pin 44 that passes through the slot 42.

As best shown in Fig. 9, the stapling head has two spacing sleeves 45 projecting from one side thereof, These spacing sleeves are secured in place by bolts 4E that pass through slots 41 in a slide plate 43 which plate is retained for sliding movement against the spacing studs 45 by the heads of the bolts 46, there being spacers 49 to prevent the bolts from binding against the plate 48. Ihe slots 41 provide clearance to permit the plate 48 to move up and down, but the plate is restrained from movement in any direction other than vertical rectilinear movement. The plate has a downwardly and rearwardly extending projection 48a, in the lower terminal of which is a transverse slot 5l! (see Figs. 6 and 7) and the pin 4I on the lever arm 40 passes through this slot.

:explainedfinadvanceof the-.driver-.so as .to y,cornil plete its-:strokebefore *.the driver .has Amovedy down fatostapleidrivi-ng .positiomfand because the staple sshownin.f1ig.-l0,`to iiii;l aroundv andrprovideclearysance-for' the end ofthe staple guide. and ,-thevvjaws. :','Ihe.ftwo;yl plates arefjoined ,X atfranl angle`1offf90 .Ybecausef of `the corner zof the boxformingan angle .Y :Sncf-190%. and theyl are supported so that each plate formsean angle of-f45with aplanepassing hori- Zontally midway between Vthe two jaws y, aSfVieWed in Figs. 6 and- 7. Whenthe jaws are openingas shown in Fig. 6, they are retracted .through-.the

.'10..openingat.thecenterfof the guide ystructure so .fas to,beentire1y.back ofthe surfaces of the.A two eguide; plates. v vAsethe jaws swing,.together;,.,they .projeot,. as-shownain Fig.. 7, Ainto .the spaceJ between thetwo guide-plates.V ,-With this arrange- 15 ment, -thefboxis4 set` into Ithe machine.-Wh en. .the

jawsvv are ropen,I .untilz thetwo Nsurfaces.- adjacent fthe cornertobe stapled contact thefplates'l. and v.53, and thecorner ofthe .box is as closeto .the cornerfwhere the'two platesfintersect as possible.

e fermihgimechanismrfhasiarperiodfofdweltwhilevfgo.Withthe box heldin -this.location, themaohine n f the fstaple, is l beingy driven and .-set. This motion f: may.advantageouslyrheeused for ltheoperation :of .theijawswwhich) mushfclose and .squeeze .the box A.gtcgether/beforenthe drivingf oifthe. staple-starts, :Land-which must;L during fthe. dwell lof the .staplefor-ming mechanism;l 'eOntinue vvto pinch. thewbox "fwhiletheastaple is beingfdriven therethrough.

For transmittinggmotion .ffrom -thestap1e-- form- `fingrmechanism?asfdescribedizthere'is secured to theiupperend ofithefpartfi (seelig.F 9)Y ar-igid eatin 5 iihavinga-a terminalfportionfz thatmasses v'fthroughzaishertaslot+53 the;.plate`4.8. {Pro- .vjectingifrom the tenn-nahportiomsis a7pinf54. :1A 121112255; onfzthe :p1atef.4$;fiswpositioned;directly above the pin 54 and a, tension springfconnects -ftbe two pins. A

eWiththisi Earrarzgement;@when .the` mechanism :fmovedowneandfsmotionfwillfbe v:transmitted first Y Y v 40 nected to .the bottomV of theA plate` A62A and, passing ivthrou'gh, aber aspringeir. toi :the: plate 148 xto rmove thepl'ate-down-and-initiate,the closingmovement .-xoftbe -J'aws. eAs'theiclosingmovement ofthe-jaws encounters resistance aingpinching. the? Ib ox f to- ;ffgether; strain will .'berfputon-'the tensionspring :e565 sozithatv it fwillf str-.etch#tofV ai lpointswhere 'the :'ftermiinal .portiere-,5 Zfwilbfbe at the lower ,limit f of I ftherslioti 535, .fandvfmthen downward movementwill z-*befztransmitted .tlirectlyi:fromI the bracket 5I:- to

,.ftherfzplatef48- :At :the @instant :off stapling; there- :will besadditionalpressurennfthelowerjaw mem- `;flier;and:it:isdesirablecthatftheflower jaw member vshoiuld fmove down4 veryslightlytto let .'fthefstaple penetrate ithe.- paperandithen -be `turned ibackiin. i rihis: motion is; permitted ffby freason rofrt-heY slot .unbecausez at thisetime the-v plate .'48 .canzgmove rffdownzwith 'respect toi4 the:x bracket? 5 I -relieving #slightlythegtension: on the'. springrt. vThe `lost 'frnotionrthus provided, however,tisfquite slight: be-

cause of the short lengthwfitheuslot 53. ,This ifarrangement'valso ;compensatesfor zvariation in ffborcwallrthickness.

Uponmompletion-,fof :the 'driving :of thek staple, f. theformer .I 3:1'wil1 :fstart toi move up; takingwith .f-itztheifbra'cketf 5 l @Anp upward movement to i'the afbersifs. mT-hwxwoxzplates aree eutffaway .as best Y is then operated vto pinchv and stapleit in-the manner described.

The: guide structure comprising 4the two ,plates is rigidly and firmly held inposition byarms or g brackets itlsecured totheback of the upperjplate 58. `The ends of thesearmsare bo1ted..to!,the .sideiaces ofthe staplinghead. Asshownfin Figs. 6 and 7-,V thefends of the bracketsmay .beslotted sothat the securing Abolts 6I may-beloosenedfto @.4305 permit the guide-to I.be adjustedand tightened -..=Whenlthe guide Thas ,'beenset in the phopenposi- *.tion.

Where the stapling head is atananglejofa, .-asshown in Fig. l 5 .the Vupper plate-..51 extends 1.35; horizontally and .the lower -plate f5.8` i is vertical .The workholding table 4 maybe providedwith a -plate.f.62, or bed Vmem-ber on which the. b,ox.nor xmally rests, whichu plate. canr` be,.elevatedby:.any appropriate means. Y I haveshown. a rod y[i3 fcon- .throughfthe bedof the work holding table. .The Alever t4, z pivotally--supported at :65, providess a meansfor elevating the box-intofthe bightpithe jaws.

y .-Inoperation the box isset onthe .plat-e 62. with the end `-wall adjacent the., backwallfaY-at ,the table. The operator. then. presses down;l oni. Vthe outer end of the lever-llrto'thereby raisethe box, and when thebox-is-infposition, stepsgon. the

50. treadleito operate thermachine. Upon the drivingjofthe staple,vthe box isa-moved over to 'the-position where the-.next .staple vis tobedriven 'and-again raised and'stapled. It .is of cou-rsecon- ".templated that the raisingv ofgthe ,box may-be .automatically accomplished,` Aor/that otherrfmeans :than that shown-may befused, but thisspeeic means Vforms *no 4special part of theV presentnlvention.

.-Asfbestshown in Figs. 15 and16vfthe forwardly 80 extending portion lofthe bracket -I-6 carries-a stop member I6' that extends Vacross-"the.topof fthe upper portion of-` the bifurcation and vwhichsis held in fplace by rearwardly extendingiportions lea, secured to member |6.-by--bolts..Nb.This

5- stop engages the corner of theboximmediately .backf of the. point ofstapling and-assuresi-thatzthe successive stapleswilrbeinline.

-f In the embodiment of the -inventionAL as rdescribed, the pinchingfof the box'is accomplished v by'means ofjaws.thatoperatefrom thefstaple forming mechanism. It fis, .however,"I contemplated thatthe gripping or pinching ofthecorner of -the box befaccomplished directlv from.f,the i motion of the driver.,` andcnefway ofeffectinsttzhis .75,fresult Aiis. illustrated in fFigs. 17e --to 20. inclusive.

In this modification, the base of the machine is designated 1|), and 1I is the column, at the top of which is the stapling head 12, the motor 13, and gearing 14 for operatingthe stapling mechanism. The work table is designated 15, and it is provided with a holder 16 which holds the box at an angle of 45.

Secured to the lower end of the stapling head is a bracket 11, at the forward end of which is a pivot pin 18 that supports a jaw member designated generally as 19, and which has a forwardly extending jaw portion 80 with anvil surfaces 8l therein. The jaw member 19 has a rearwardly extending tail portion 82 and it has an upwardly extending lug or arm 83 on which is a roller 84. At the lower end of the driver is a tapered cam surface 85 which cooperates with the roller while a compression spring 86 under the tail 82 exerts an upward pressure against the tail, tending to move the jaw 80 to the open position shown in Fig. 19. The driver, designated 81, in addition to having the surface 85 hereinbefore mentioned, also has an inclined surface 88 in which are formed a series of teeth.

In operation, the box is set in the position shown in Fig. 17. As the driver comes down to drive the staple, the inclined surface 85 bearing against the roller 84, cams the roller rearwardly, rocking the jaw member against the compression of the spring 86, tending to pinch the box between the roughened surface 88 and the jaw 80, the box being pinched in the manner shown in Fig. 18. As the pinching is occurring, the driving of the staple is also taking place, so that the box is gathered together at the end, and stapled with the staple passing diagonally through the corner in the manner hereinbefore described. The arrangement shown in Figs. 18 to 20 inclusive is less effective than the arrangements previously described, where a stitching machine is employed, but this arrangement can be satisfactorily used, especially on a slower operating machine, and one wherein preformed staples are used.

While I have illustrated and described certain specific embodiments of my invention, and methods of effecting it, it will be understood that other modifications are also within the contemplation of my invention, and under the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

l. The method of closing a carton which comprises pinching together a corner between two intersecting initially disconnected perpendicular surfaces thereof together into parallelism and passing fastening means therethrough.

2. In the closing of a carton, the steps which comprise squeezing together into parallelism the corner where the detached edge of a lift and a wall surface intersect and then entering fastening means into one surface and having it emerge on the other.

3. The method of closing a carton having a cover ap with a free edge perpendicular and adjacent to one of the walls of the carton which comprises pinching the said edge and wall at the corner Where they intersect until they are in parallelism and then passing fastening means through the corner while it is so pinched together.

4. The method of securing together perpendicular walls of a carton which comprises driving a fastener diagonally across the corner formed by the intersection of the free edges of two walls, and pinching the corner together to bring the corner portions through which the fastening means is passed into parallelism while thefasti ening means is being driven.

5. Carton sealing means comprising a carton holding support and meansl positioned to cooperate with a carton on the support for passing a fastening means diagonally across a corner of the carton, and means for squeezing together the corner portions of the carton through which the fastener is entered during the passing of the fastening therethrough.

6. Carton sealing means comprising means for pinching into parallelism the wall portions at the corner formed by two intersecting walls of a carton, other means for passing a fastening means through said corner whi'e it is so pinched and means for supporting the carton in position to have the corner thereof engaged by the pinching means.

'1. Carton sealing means comprising means for pinching into parallelism the portions at the corner formed by two intersecting walls of a carton, driver means for passing a fastening means through said corner while it is so pinched, said last named means including a staple driver, said pinching means including an anvil element opposite the driver, and means for supporting a carton in position to have the corner thereof engaged by the pinching means.

8. A stapling machine for operating upon cartons, having a horizontal carton holding support, an overhanging arm above the support, and a stapling unit depending from the arm at an angle of 45 with a driver therein operating at an angle to drive the staple diagonally across the corner of a carton on the support, and anvil means set to operate against a side of the boX through which the diagonally driven staple emerges, said anvil being associated with and forming part -of a movable jaw element, and a second jaw element cooperating with the first for pinching the corner through which the staple is being driven.

9. A stapling machine comprising a pair of movable jaw elements adapted to pinch and grip the corner of a carton to be stapled, a driver positioned adjacent the jaw elements to drive a staple into the corner of the carton where it is so held and pinched, one of the jaw elements having an anvil portion toward which the driver projects the staple, and means for supporting the carton with the wall immediately under the driver initially in a plane at 45 to the direction in which the driver operates.

10. A stapling machine comprising a pair of movable jaw elements adapted to pinch and grip the corner of a carton to be stapled, a driver positioned adjacent the jaw elements to drive a staple into the corner of the carton where it is so held and pinched, one of the jaw elements having an anvil portion toward which the driver projects the staple, means for supporting the carton with the wall immediately under the driver initially in a plane at 45 to the direction in which the driver operates, and common means for operating the jaws and the driver in sequence.

11. The method of stapling a deformable but rigid carton which comprises pinching the corner formed by the intersection of two free edges of the carton until the parts so pinched are parallel and entering a fastening means through the parallel wall portions of the carton which are so pinched together.

12. A stapling machine comprising two opposed movable jaw members, a, driver unit for message? 1.1, settings fasteing'swch'iunitfis stra'ddled byz'one of the `jawA members f and which terminates einr spaced relation to the *other .offthe fjawsffand common means for yoperating the'. jaw membersto pinehthelv corner of Y.2J-carton1171.1; be'fastenedemd 5 for loperating" the v:iriver ato set ua;fester-rer'Y in l"said corner.

`v13. lipparemusfl for .stapling the 'cornersi of cartons -coinprising means fffor pinching .-1 the cerner forfme'd by.-perpendicu1arfree meeting edges ofthe box to be stapled into parallelism, `means .for drivingV fa. staple j through :fthe ipo'rtion which 1 is so pinched, and; means nfor 'moving fand f holding a. lloe'xl-in position-11:0 '-,befrenga'ged by "the i pinching means=w`ith the lelfiazgolual lnewhichextends-from thef cornervof said.V bx to theopposite 'corner-being at irigh-t f-ngles to the fiirecztion in ywhich the driver moves.

JOSEPH Cs 

